After 8 eventful years in the White House, Bush will concede the presidency to Barak Obama. For any person, such a shift - from a position of ultimate power and visibility to one of… well, much less of both - would have major psychological effects. Paul McCartney admitted to having a breakdown after the Beatles disbanded - a move he himself initiated. But for George W. Bush, the psychological implications are even bigger. One can hardly imagine a more controversial presidency. And psychologists could hardly imagine a more interesting case study in life changes.

What happens to a person after such a remarkable time? I find it interesting anytime someone goes from one extreme situation to another. If he’s not the most powerful man in the world, he’s certainly the most well known and followed. And from one day to the next it will all be over. Because of the level of controversy of his presidency and his personality (I see him as a very emotional and sensitive person), it will be all the more difficult for Bush.

The number of significant and historical events (to put them mildly) which have occurred in the past 8 years have left few people on Bush’s side. Few, at least for now, will make efforts to praise his tenure in Washington, let alone associate with him. Not to bust on him - I understand Churchill had a hard time finding friends at the end of his stay as Prime Minister. Where will these leave George Bush? All the attention, all the power, all the controversy - gone. His own party seems lined up to simply try to forget about him.

As this site hints at. All real change is driven by emotion, by passion. Watching the concert in Washington today, motherfuckers are emotional. Motherfuckers are passionate. No choir of teenage kids would sing like that for George Bush. Step 1 in life, in any endeavor, is to get your emotional drive up. The rest will follow. Intelligence and talent all come second in line to drive and determination. Bush’s presidency was built on fear, not passion. And run on arrogance, not confidence. The result of Bush’s way is pretty obvious, while the results of Obama’s presidency remain to be seen. One thing is unmistakable - there is a real energy around Obama taking office. And that energy will propel and drive whatever measures he takes for the time being. And of course that energy and motivation and passion are so crucial to any initiatives he will take. That’s how it works for individuals and that’s how it works for countries. 

All that energy, all that hope, has largely been created by Bush. Not because he was energetic and positive, but because America has been so out of touch with hope as a result of the last 8 years (not judging it, just calling it as I see it). That seems to be the ultimate jab at Bush as he leaves the White House. As I see it, George Bush has several possible options after he retires from Washington.

1. Get a job.Obviously the best way to avoid sitting around and contemplating what the hell just happened is to bury yourself in work. It’s not the healthy thing to do, but few would accuse Bush of being psychologically healthy. Bush would be a prime candidate for an executive-type position - not one in a corporate environment, but rather one that makes use of his best skill, his likability. His well-known ties with the Saudi Royal Family would be a clear option to liaison between them and American interests. I personally can’t see him going into charitable and activists roles as Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore have done. He’ll simply be too much of a liability for such groups who are too often associated with the left. No, his bread lies in the private sector - making money, working out deals between the wealthy and governments and organizations. He can feel useful and wanted without having to dwell on any perceived failures of the last eight years. America will try to forget about him and he’ll do (subconsciously) the same in return. Only on occasion will he think about the events his presidency and possibly never consider that he may have screwed up royally.

2. Retire.If George W spends the next few years clearing shrub and hunting in Texas, it will be his own decision - not for a lack of other options. Being a man of conviction, he may simply choose to relax and continue in his belief that he did what he thought was right. This will be a bit trickier for the president. Quiet and isolation, though gifts to the mentally healthy and guilt-free, may wreak havoc on the vulnerable psyche of George Bush. He’ll have to work hard to push thoughts of self-doubt out of his head. And following the news is inescapable. I can hardly imagine a person who wouldn’t spend a large part of his day reflecting on the time which was so important to so many, so shrouded in various perceptions, yet flew right by.

3. The Book Deal. In these final days of his presidency, you see the media really trying to sink their teeth into Bush one last time. Maybe they subconsciously feel the contrast to the situation after 9-11 when they felt they really couldn’t stand up and be critical without somehow worsening their cause. Now is their chance to make up for lost time and “grill this asshole while it still counts” (I’m not quoting anyone, I’m just imagining what a journalist might be thinking). And sure enough, they’re not letting up, they’re not giving him the slightest acknowledgement that there was something positive in his presidency. And he hates it. You can feel his reluctance to give his final press conference and exit interviews, even for Fox News. He knows that the only issue is “how everything has gone completely wrong” and how most people view his presidency as a complete failure. “Time to set the record straight”. A book deal would normally be a good way to at least formalize your own side of the story in a situation gray with political intricacies and complicated interests of two opposing takes. Rumor is, the book is in the works, and I’m sure it will come out. What I’m also sure of is it will be fired at and quickly passed off just like any other interview these days. A last desperate attempt to present himself as right, if not unlucky.

4. Humanitarian Aid.In an interview I heard a few months back, Bush expressed “interest” in helping the poor and needy in Africa. While other presidents have proved quite effective in the humanitarian arenas, Bush will probably have a different experience. While it seems true that there are African nations which embrace him, most humanitarian organizations who operate there do not. I could see it possible that he simply set up his own humanitarian organization using a few political connections and a few million in donations. Entirely possible. But don’t expect the media, or the rest of the world for that matter, to suddenly like him. Most likely it would be a limited effort with limited real effects. He won’t be doing it for them, but more for himself (subconsciously, of course - that is the only way he knows how to fly). And that’s fine. I can see him feeling a real sense of accomplishment and contentment in this.

Bush’s real agenda: Love
Let us not forget what shaped this man in the first place. Typical of any middle child, and especially one surrounded by such high expectations, this man is only after validation and acceptance, and he’ll do some crazy things to get it. The biggest nightmare for such a person (and maybe any person) is when the whole world hates you in spite of your efforts to be loved. When your strategy isn’t working out, you’ll tend to get angry and rebellious - as he did in his youth and as he seems to be doing of late. Maybe he’ll join a punk band. He could call it The G-Hate Summit. I’d download that. Personally, I feel for the guy. He got in over his head and had the worst of luck for 8 straight years (and yes, getting re-elected was unlucky). He meant well, but missed the mark. Let him go down as the ultimate example of how worthless good intentions are.

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